Automatic stitch-controlling means for knitting machines



4 0. F. OAKES.

AuToM/mc STITCH coNTRoLuNG MEANS son KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 24| 1919.

' Patented Got. 3, 1922.

0. F. OAK'ES. AUTOMATIC STITCH CONTROLLING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES.APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 19191 1,430,836, .Patented 0mm-1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

z 4 63 e e Q/O l e, l I fl e m Ilm il,

'"f fcf 0 l iQ/.4..

1. l ha u. il WV. teniecl man o, that.

,mais an l fig @will Menta/1' AUTOMTIC 'lll'ClI-CONTRGLLHIG- applicationille-i .Tune 4,

To all fio/lam it may concern.'

Be it lmovvn that l, Uwnn F. Ganas, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State oit Massachusetts, have invented certain neurr and usefulimprovements in Automatic 5"titch-Controlling1 llflcans for lnittingMachines, oft 1which the following is a speciliczi ion.

This invention relates to knitting machines and is intended to provide asimple automatically controlled mechanism or attachinegt capable otbeing; applied to various forms oin knitting machines as they arealready made and used for the purpose of Widening or narrowing theknitted article by intermittently and progressively changing' the lengthot the stitches termed in the article being knitted7 such lcr example asa tubular sleeve shown in my former Patent No. 1254722, dan. 29, 1918.

To this end the invention consists, generally speaking7 in thecombination With the usual rota-ry cam plate which throws inthe needlessuccessively tor the lmittine' operatiom cita needle retracting` caniWhose relative position to the cam plate may he varied to vary thelength of different courses of stitches, and an automatic intermittentlyacting mechanism for shifting` said retracting,` cam to differentpositions of adjustment. at any predetermined intervals7 provision heingmade to vary the starting point ofthe needle cam and also to vary theextent ot its intermittent adjustment.

For convenience l have shown in the ac ccmpanyingi` drawings the mannerin which the principle oil. this invention may he applied to anordii'iary dial machine, but it 'will he understood that the sameprinciple oit control and operation is equally applicable to other typesof circular knitting machines Well.

ln the drawings l have shown only so much of the Well-known constructionof the knitting machine itself as is necessary to a completeunderstanding of the construction and operation of my automaticattachment therefor.

Figure. l

is a vertical plan viewv showing` a portion oi the circular needles withthe rotary cam plate and the relation of my at# tachinent therc o!Figure 2 is a detail slimvinsv a vertical. section oit the ii'atchetWheel and the intermittently acting` shitting cam hy Vwhich the JEANSFOB ELTETTIN MAC-HNES.

1919. Serial No. 308,323.

adjusting movementsoi' the retracting cam are effected.

`Figi/nre 3 is a bottom plan vieiv shoivingf lil jure 4. is a detail.showing' in. side elevathe automatic controlline means lav which theintermittent action of the shittinig/ g'` cam is etliected.

Figure 5 shows a modified form of intermittent shittingcam hy which thechange from the large diameter to the small vdiameter or vice versa iseii'ectec gradually instead of at a single step.' Y f ln. the practiceoimy invention as applied to a circular knittingl machine of thedialtype, according` to the torni illustrated in the drawings, the`stationary bed plate a is provided With the radial grooves a forreceiving the radially arranged needles e2 which perform the knitting`operation.

th circular cani plate having` on its under si 1e the usual gear ring`3v loy which the cam plate is rotated by the usual driving' gear (notshown). The cam plate b is also protyid il with the dependin peripheraltlanrge e l kb which the proper point is provided with the' inv-.iardlyprojecting swell b4 which engages the hutts a3 of the needles to throw'l needles in toivard the center in the knittina` operation.

@n the underside of `the cam plate adjacent tothe swell l# is mountedthe retractinlu. cani c which performs the usual lunction of theretracti c cam lout which, in this case,7 is mounted not only to permitadjustment relative tcthe tain plate nearer to or 1"" rther from thecenter, hut also is so arranged and coordinated with other parte oftlielmechanisni constituting `my automatic attachment that its relative`position toward or awa-y from the center may he varied either at eachrevolution or as many times as desired dur ing` one revolution vor onlyafter a. series of revolutions of the cam platey in the manner hereina.ter to be described.

lt Will loe understood that the nearer to the center the came issupported the less will. he the distance through `which the needles aresuccessively retractedor drawn into the needle plate hy successiveengagement ot' the needles with the retracti'ng cam. lt will also heululerstood that the less the needles are retracted from their fullinward .there the `hed or needle plate is mounted iasose m the highpoint and a sudden jump ofi' to the low point oil the cam.

@n the other hand, a continuous chain of tapered sleeves or otherarticles may be knit by proceeding from the small to the large diameteror vice versa and then gradually returning from the large diameter tothe small diameter and from the small diameter to the large diameteragain. In such case We have a gradual rise to the high point and agradual descent on the other side to the lovv point as illustrated incam 0 shown in Figure 5.

`What I claim is:

l. In a tubular knitting machine, the coinbination with a circularseries ot` needles, oit a needle-retracting element inovably mounted onthe cam plate to be automatically adjusted nearer to or farther from thecentre thereof, a positioning lever operatively connected with saidretracting element, a rotatable positioning cam operatively related tosaid lever, a ratchet and paivl ior intermittently rotating said camstep by step, a pavvlactuating member mounted independently of the camplate and movable into active or inactive position to engage and actuatesaid pawl to progressively vary the position ot the retracting elementon different rotations of the cam plate, substantially as described.

2. In a tubular knitting machine, the combination With a circular seriesof needles, of a needlemetracting element movably mounted on the cam tobe automatically positioned at different distances from the centre ofdi'erent rotations of the cam plate, a positioning lever therefor havingadjustable operative engagement therewith, a rotatable cam positioned toengage the opposite end oit' said lever, a ratchet connected with saidcam, a ratchet-actuating paivl and a pawlactuating member arranged to beshifted into operative relation with said paWl on any predeterminedrevolution of the cam plate in order to progressively position theretracting element, substantially as de scribed.

3. ln a tubular knitting machine, the combination with a circular seriesof needles, a needle-retracting element movably mounted to assumedifferent positions 'with relation to the centre olf' the cam plate, apositioning lever arranged to have operative connection With saidretracting element, said lever being provided with a plurality otselective ulcral points to vary its action upon the retracting element,an intermittently rotated cam cooperatively related to said lever toswing the lever` about its 'fulcrum step by step, a ratchet and paivlfor actuating said earn, a paWl-actuating member and automaticcontrolling means by which said pavvlactuating member is rendered activeon a predetermined revolution of the cam plate and is rendered inactiveupon other revolutions ot the cam plate, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I have afixed my signature.

i OWEN F. OAKES.

